The present invention relates generally to devices for assisting persons to learn sports skills and, more particularly, to devices for assisting persons to learn or improve batting skills for playing the game of baseball.
In playing baseball, a batter should always attempt to maintain the hierarchal position during the swing. Essentially, this means that the bat head or barrel of the bat is always above the hitter""s hands and hitter""s hands are always above the ball during the path of the bat to the ball until they are all on the same plane at contact. If a batter is able to do this, he will ensure that his bat will be in the optimum position to hit the ball. If the batter does not, the barrel of the bat and his back shoulder will drop causing the hitter to lose the hierarchal position. This will bring the bat to the ball at a bad or incorrect angle. By having the knob of the bat both move down and toward the ball, the hitter can maintain the hierarchal position during the swing. As such, wherever the knob of the bat goes, the barrel will go.
It is also desirable that the batter, when batting, maintain so-called xe2x80x9cflat hands.xe2x80x9d Flat hands means, at contact with the ball, the palm of the bottom hand on the bat is facing downward and the palm of the top hand on the bat is facing skyward. Flat hands on contact with the baseball will enable the ball to come off the bat with backspin and no topspin. A ball with backspin will travel farther. When the hitter either prematurely rolls his wrists or rolls his wrists on contact, it also decreases extension and reduces the possibility to hit with more power. Bat speed or velocity is enhanced with a hitter contacts the ball with flat hands.
It therefore is a feature of the subject invention to provide a device for assisting persons to learn and/or improve batting skills for playing the game of baseball.
It also is a feature of the subject invention to provide a device for assisting persons to learn and/or improve xe2x80x9cbat directingxe2x80x9d skills when batting in the game of baseball.
It further is a feature of the subject invention to provide a device for assisting persons to learn and/or maintain xe2x80x9cflat handsxe2x80x9d type skills when batting in the game of baseball.
Briefly, the present invention comprehends in its broader aspects a baseball training device for use in improving batting skills, particularly bat directing skills while batting, the device comprising an elongated member of at least a length to extend about the wrist of a wearer and form a loop, and a bat knob receiving member depending from the elongated member, the bat knob receiving member having a generally circular opening adapted to receive the knob of a baseball bat when the wearer of the training device swings the baseball bat.
The present invention further comprehends a baseball training device for use in improving batting skills, particularly bat directing skills while batting, the device comprising a member of at least a length to extend about the wrist of a wearer and having two distil ends, a fastener for engaging the two distal ends of the elongated member so as to form a loop, and a bat knob receiving member depending from the elongated member, the bat knob receiving member having a generally circular opening adapted to receive the knob of a baseball bat when the wearer of the training device swings the baseball bat.